1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus forming an image corresponding to an image information input from an external apparatus on a receiving sheet by pressing the receiving sheet and an exposed photosensitive sheet on which a latent image of the image corresponding to the external image information is formed, in superposing both sheets each other, and particularly to the image recording apparatus in which a feeding device for feeding the photosensitive sheet is located downstream a heating device used when the latent image is formed on the photosensitive sheet.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, this kind of the image recording apparatus is variously proposed. For example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Sho 62-147461, an image recording apparatus in which an image according to a latent image formed on a photosensitive sheet by exposing and heating thereof is recorded on a receiving sheet having an absorbent thereon by pressing both the sheets superposed mutually. Here, the photosensitive sheet has thereon microcapsules in which a coloring agent is encapsulated. The microcapsules are rendered photohadenable by exposing and hardened by heating. And when the image is formed on the receiving sheet, the coloring agent flown out of the non-exposed microcapsules reacts with the absorbent of the receiving sheet.
In the above recording apparatus, a feeding device for the photosensitive sheet having a pair of feeding rollers, etc. is arranged on a feeding path. And that feeding device is located upstream a heating device used for heating the photosensitive sheet to form the latent image thereon, according to the feeding path. Thus, in the apparatus, the exposed photosensitive sheet is fed by the feeding device before reaching to the heating device.
However, in case that the exposed photosensitive sheet before being heated is fed by the feeding rollers in nipping the photosensitive sheet therebetween, the microcapsules applied on the photosensitive sheet will be unnecessarily ruptured. In that case, a flaw and the like is formed in the recorded image on the receiving sheet because of such unnecessary rupturing of the microcapsules, as a result, quality of the recorded image remarkably goes down.